Doha Debates, The"This House believes marriage between close family members should be discouraged."
The Doha Debates threw themselves into one of the Arab world's most sensitive social issues, arguing the rights and wrongs of inter- marriage between blood relatives and voting overwhelmingly to discourage the practice. In a lively session that featured geneticists and cultural commentators, speakers grappled repeatedly with the scientific and religious aspects of consanguineous marriage - the union of two biologically-related people, including, most controversially, first cousins. Such marriages are especially prevalent in the Middle East and woven deeply into the social fabric of Islam. D

5:47 pm

The Poodle Trainer
rina Markova, a solitary Russian poodle trainer, reveals her transcendent relationship with her dogs, the childhood tragedy that sparked a lifetime of working with animals, and the welcome isolation behind the red velvet curtains of the circus. D

6:00 pm

Intelligence Squared U.S."WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICS, THE INTERNET IS CLOSING OUR MINDS"
Does the internet poison politics? It?s been argued that the rise of ? personalization,? the use of algorithms to filter what you see online, and easy access to the like-minded, have served to reinforce our pre-conceptions. Is the information bubble a myth, or is it undermining civic discourse? Is the rise of social media really broadening our world views, or narrowing them? Panelists: Eli Pariser, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Evgeny Morozov, Jacob Weisberg. D

7:00 pm

Intelligence Squared U.S."Should Drugs Be Legalized?"
It was 1971 when President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs." $ 2.5 trillion dollars later, drug use is half of what it was 30 years ago and thousands of offenders are successfully diverted to treatment instead of jail. Still, 22 million Americans - nine percent of the population - still use illegal drugs; and with the highest incarceration rate in the world, we continue to fill our prisons with drug offenders, leaving shattered families and communities in the wake. D

Intelligence Squared U.S."WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICS, THE INTERNET IS CLOSING OUR MINDS"
Does the internet poison politics? It?s been argued that the rise of ? personalization,? the use of algorithms to filter what you see online, and easy access to the like-minded, have served to reinforce our pre-conceptions. Is the information bubble a myth, or is it undermining civic discourse? Is the rise of social media really broadening our world views, or narrowing them? Panelists: Eli Pariser, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Evgeny Morozov, Jacob Weisberg. D